MURFREESBORO – You get the sense that MTSU senior Pat McNeil dreams at night of sacking the quarterback.

But if he and his fellow defensive tackles fill their roles, that will mostly remain a fantasy.

“Well, our No. 1 role will always be to stop the run, but up front you always need to be able to transition into a pass rusher,” said McNeil, a returning starter who has two sacks in his career (both last season).

Head coach Rick Stockstill said despite delusions of grandeur, MTSU’s defensive tackles will continue to hold a vital role stopping the run and disrupting pass protection while quicker edge-rushers attack the quarterback.

“(Defensive tackles’) No. 1 job is to stop the run, and then push the pocket back where the quarterback can’t step up in the pocket. That’s where they can become as effective as sackers.”

To help push the pile, MTSU’s defensive tackles added some bulk during the offseason, with some gaining more than 20 pounds.

McNeil is up to 311 pounds. Sophomores Shaq Huff (298), Jimal McBride (303) and Derious Bennett (307) are hovering around 300 pounds. McNeil’s backup, sophomore Raynard Felton, entered preseason camp at 6-foot-4, 282 pounds, but Stockstill said he is now close to 300.

“There is nothing negative about it,” said Stockstill of the weight gain. “We have some run guys inside, and I think we can be a good group there. We are a little heavier than we were last year, and that’s even with losing Jimmy (Staten).”

Staten, a fifth-round pick of the Seattle Seahawks, led the defensive tackles last season, but the group allowed 199.3 rushing yards per game — the exact same average as MTSU’s celebrated rushing offense.

The silver lining was that MTSU’s defense stiffened against the run around the goal line, ranking 17th nationally in red-zone defense. Defensive tackles also had a hand in helping MTSU recover 18 fumbles, the most in the nation.

Defensive tackle is also a position of optimism because Huff, McBride, Bennett and Felton all played reasonably well as freshmen last season. Another sophomore, Chris Hale, showed good athleticism and strength up front before suffering a season-ending knee injury in the ninth game last year. He has returned to practice on a limited basis, and Stockstill said he hopes Hale can play by the third or fourth game this season.

Contact Adam Sparks at 615-278-5174 or sparks@dnj.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamSparks.